Link feed apron



LINK FEED APRON -Filed March 18, 1941 '2 sheets-sheet 1 Invehfar by I Oct. 7, 1941. R. I .sJosTRoM LINK FEED AYPRiON 2 Sheets-Shes?l 2 Filed Maron 1s, 1941 Patented Oct. 7, 14941 UNiTED" STATES mi,ENTl OFFICE Robert L. Sjostrom, Lawrence, Mass., assigner toA Y Mary Sjostrom.

Application March 18, 1941, Serial No. 383,891

-7 ClaimS. (Cl. 1981-1728) v The present invention relates to link vaprons and in particular to aprons used in the textile industry as a conveyor ofr loose lint, fibresy or the like, but the apron may also'be used as a conveyor ofv other materials as will be seen below.

' In the present invention, the links are made of fabricated sheet metal with each link 'formed out of a single piece of metal and havinglink elements in the' formof semi-.cylinders running the length of the link. Each link is alike and normally meshes with'the next in line, being `retained in .place by an Aend bracket extending overfthe lateral cylindrical end of each link vof the apron.

'Ifhe aprons may be of anydesired length and width, the width of the apron being of the length of the link, and the whole apron may be driven by a sprocket shaft, lbut preferablyby an interchangeable set of sprocket gears which may be mounted on the drive shaft-to rotate theapron.

Further advantages andv improvements inthe present invention will be more readily understood from the specification below when ltaken in connection with the drawings showing an embodiment of the vsame in which Figure 1 shows a plan view of a portion of the apron-. Y Y

Figure 2 shows an end View.

,Figure 3 shows a sectional Viewl r1 the line V-Figure 7 shows partly schematically the driv.

ing mechanismof the apron, and,

v Figure 8 shows a section .View through the shaft end and'sprocket Wheels correspondingto Figure i7.

In the ,drawings I represents the links which may be any desired length and which vare peferably made from metal sheets vsuch as cold rolled metal by die rollers'or the like. A A

VDifferent sectional lforms of the links areshown in Figures 3 V'and 5. The sectional form indicated in Figure 3 is provided witha bent up section 2 so that the portions 2 and 3 'of the links form an obtuse angle with each other. The ends of each link 4 and 5 are bent around in a semi cylindrical fashion with the cylindrical portion 4 meshing within the cylindrical portion of the subsequent link.

As indicated in Figure 1 there is a group of parsectional View ori` the linelinks lengths for adding strength to the ,construction, Each link is provided with a group of pins 7, "I, "I, etc., which lhave integrally formed therewith at one end, eyelet portions 8. These eyelet portionsas indicated in Figure 3 are fastened to the inclinedsections 2 of the link by means of the split rivets 9 which have flat heads I0 facing the vouter side of the links with the stern projecting through the links and the eyelets A8 and bent l over as indicated by the portions I I, I I, Figure .1. The pins in this manner lie at against the section Y2 of the link and project in the plane of the sections 2 through a perforation I2 in the base sections ,-3. The pins 'I therefore are inclined at an acute angle with the sections y3 of the links. 4

has vbeen previouslyvmentioned the cylindricajlends v4 and 5 meshftogethe'r and therefore may he ,r0t-ate dwith respect to eac-h other in a locked position. Afterthese links are slidinto place and meshed with each other, end clamping members I4 and I5 arel attached. These end 'clamping' members are angular in section as indicated in Figure' 4 with az portion I6 riveted by Ymea-ns oi the rivets Il tothe base portion 3V of the link.

' As indicated in Figure 3 the portion vII comes allel embosses 6, 6, 6, running transversely of the close to the cylindrical end -5 and 'serves as a guard for vthe cylindrical sections at the lateral edges of the link. At the end of the `member .I4 there is provided a projecting flang' -I I- projecting overthe vends'bi'the cylindrical sections 4 and 5 so that lthe links, after they are iixed -in place with `respect'to one another,v cannot Slide out ljateral1y.- -v

vlin ythe modified for-m A"shown in Figure '5, lthe links 420 are entirely iiat, otherwise however, the construction of the cylindrical end mem-bers Yand' the end edge guards arethe same. -In'thi's case however the pins 2 1 are hel-d yin the iiatzsection' and Ahave valben-t point as indicated in the ligure,

portion-'2U have the Asame angle as the pin`1 and the -portion -3inFigure 3. I

' `,In Figure v6 aplan View is shown of the pin instal-lation rin' accordancewith Figure 5. The

" split rivet-22 comes directly up from the flat "sec-4 tion j20 with the splitends j213'1yin'g 'over the eyelet portion -24 land holding the pin yon the inside to the section 20.

In the views indicated in Figures 2, Ssand 5,

the upper side may be considered to be the inside of the link and the lower side of the outside of the link or apron which performs the function of grasping or combing the fibers over which the pins pass.

While the arrangement of the present invention may be used for combing fibers, it is readily adaptable to use for conveying masses of fibers. Usually however it combines with the function of conveying the function of breaking up the bulk fibers and conveying them in loose form.

The link elements are linked together to form an apron of the desired length and are driven by a drive shaft 30 by means of the sprocket wheels 3l, 3l, 3|, etc., which are removably mounted on the shaft 3B by means of the hubs 32 and the locking bolts 33. sprocket wheels may be used on the shaft as is necessary to drive the apron. The number of course depends upon the width ofthe apron and As many of these said semi-cylindrical ends, a plurality of sharp pins with eyelets formed at one end, fastening means passing through said eyelets and attached tf said central sheet element for holding the pins to said apron, said apron having perforations through which said pins pass to the side opposite to that to which they are fastened, and said pins being directed at an angle to the surface of the central sheet where they pass through the sheet.

4. A link feed apron comprising a plurality of VV.links formed of metallic sheet material, each the length, weight and kind of work which the apron is to do. Each sprocket wheel has a number of sprocket bars 34, 34, 34, etc., which are set into the periphery of the sprocket wheel crosswise as indicated in Figures 7 and 8. These sprocket bars engage the inside sections of the apron operating against the cylindrical portions 5 in a manner similar to that in which a sprocket wheel operates against the links in a sprocket chain. In this way no special means is needed for drivingV the apron, its own construction serving to supply the points against which the sprocket wheels grip. v Other forms and modifications of the invention Will be evident from the construction described above, and the drawings, and therefore, I claim: s

1. A link feed apron comprising a plurality of links formed of metallic sheet material, each having interlocking semi-cylindrical ends with surfaces partly in face to face relationship with each other and central sheet portions between such ends, and retaining members to retain said links together comprising brackets mounted at the lateral ends of the links and having a flange ex` tending over the face of the lateral edges of said semi-cylindrical ends. v

` 2, A link feed apron comprising a plurality of links formed of metallic sheet material, each having interlocking semi-cylindrical endsV with surfaces partly in face to face relationship with each other andmcentral sheet elements between such ends, and retaining members to retain said links together comprising brackets mountedvat the lateral ends of the links and having a flange extendingwover theface of the -lateralwedges of said semi-cylindrical ends, a pluralityof'J-Vsharp pins with eyelets formed at one end, fastening means passing through said ,eyelets and attached to said central sheetelement for holdingl the pins to said apron, said apron having perforations through which said pins pass to the side vopposite to that to which they are fastened.

3. A link feed 'apron comprising a pluralityof; links formed of metallic sheet material, eachhaving interlocking semi-cylindrical ends With surfaces partly in face to face relationship with each other and central sheet portions between such ends, and retaining members to'ret'ain said rg, n

' over the face of the lateral edges of said semilinks together comprising brackets mounted' at the lateral ends ofthe links and having a flange extending over the face of the lateral edges of surfaces partly in face to face relationship with each other, said ends being joined by a central section lformed with surfaces inclined to each other and retaining members to retain said links together comprising brackets mounted at the lateral ends of the links and having a fiange extending over the face of the lateral edges of said semi-cylindrical ends, a plurality of sharp pins with eyelets formed at one end, means mounting said pins in said eyelet on one of said inclined having interlocking semi-cylindrical ends with surfaces partly in face-to face relationship with each other,`said ends being joined by a central section formed with surfaces inclined to each other and retaining members to retain said links together comprising brackets mounted'at the lateral ends of the links and having a ange extending over the face of the lateral edges of said semi-cylindrical ends, a plurality of sharp pins with eyelets formed at one end in the same plane as the pin, means mounting said pins in said eyelets-flat to one of said surfaces and perforations in the other surfaces whereby said pins project through said'surfaces substantially in the plane of the first surface.

7. Av link feed apron comprising a plurality of links formed in metallic sheet material, each having interlocking semi-cylindrical ends with surfaces partly in face to face relationship with eachotherfand central sheet portions between such ends, and retaining members to retain said links together comprising brackets mounted at the lateral ,ends of the links having aside projectinglnormally to the ,surface upon which it is mounted and lfacing the exterior of saidAsemicylindrical ends and having a flange extending cylindrical ends. Y

Y l ROBERT L. SJOSTROM. 

